A wide-ranging plan to reorganise government institutions has been placed before Parliament, with lawmakers now seeking public views on proposals that would abolish six regional development authorities, merge nine state agencies and dissolve the Kenya Film Classification Board.
The changes form part of a broader effort to reduce government spending by cutting duplication and bringing together institutions with similar roles.
The proposals are contained in several Bills sponsored by National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah, among them the Regional Development Authorities Laws (Repeal) Bill, 2026, which was introduced in the National Assembly last Thursday.
If approved, the Bill will repeal the laws that created six regional development authorities and transfer their functions, assets, liabilities, rights and obligations to the National Treasury or another state department that may be appointed by the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury.
The authorities targeted under the proposal are the Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA), Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA), Tana and Athi Rivers Development Authority (TARDA), Ewaso Ng’iro North Development Basin Authority, Ewaso Ng’iro South Development Basin Authority and the Coast Development Authority.
The proposed reforms also seek to combine several government agencies into larger institutions.
Under the plan, the National Water Harvesting and Storage Authority will be merged with the National Irrigation Authority to create a single institution responsible for the sector.
The Kenya Investment Authority and the Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency are also set to be brought together to form the Kenya Investment and Export Promotion Authority.
Another proposal seeks to combine the Kenya Industrial Property Institute, the Kenya Copyright Board and the Anti-Counterfeit Authority into the Kenya Intellectual Property Authority.
The National Assembly is also inviting public submissions on a separate proposal to abolish the Kenya Film Classification Board and return its functions to its parent ministry.
The Regional Development Authorities Laws (Repeal) Bill, 2026, has already gone through its First Reading and has been committed to the Departmental Committee on Regional Development, which will consider it before the public participation process is concluded.